China is stepping up its iPhone crackdown

• More Chinese government officials have been told to stop using iPhones, according to Bloomberg.
• The country's iPhone crackdown has now reportedly expanded to at least eight Chinese provinces.

Apple's China problem could be about to get a lot worse, with the Chinese government reportedly expanding its iPhone crackdown.

Staff in multiple state firms and government departments in at least eight Chinese provinces are being told not to bring their iPhones or other Western phones to work, according to unnamed sources cited by Bloomberg.

It's the latest expansion of Beijing's campaign against the American tech titan, with China reportedly banning some central government employees from bringing their iPhones to work in September.

This order has now been expanded to smaller firms and agencies in provincial cities, according to Bloomberg, in a sign that the Chinese government is accelerating its crackdown.

The Chinese government has previously denied reports that it is restricting the use of foreign cellphones, including those made by Apple.

However, it has also questioned the security of Apple's smartphone as it attempts to wean the country off Western technology, and there are signs that this push may already be hitting Apple's position in the country.

Chinese workers took to social media in September to discuss ditching their Apple devices over fears that their workplaces might ban them as the crackdown spreads.

It's the latest blow to Apple in China, with the company contending with poor sales of the iPhone 15 and strong local competition in the world's largest smartphone market in the form of Huawei's Mate 60.

The Mate 60 Pro smartphone launched weeks before the iPhone 15 and sold nearly 1.5 million units in the first month, which is double the number reached by Huawei's previous model.

Apple has also found itself caught in the middle of a wider geopolitical struggle between the US and China thanks to its reliance on the Asian superpower.

The US company still makes over 95% of its iPhones, Macs, and iPads in China, despite attempts to change that in recent years.

Apple has been attempting to repair the "symbiotic" relationship it has with China in recent months, with its CEO Tim Cook making at least two trips to the country this year and the company acquiescing to new rules about what apps can launch on China's version of the app store.

However, the reported expansion of China's iPhone ban suggests that its efforts may ultimately be in vain.

Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider, made outside normal working hours.